Indirectly Spoken
by LitCoffee
Summary: Bobby snuck his arms around Rogue's waist, burying his nose in her hair. John wondered what her hair smelled like. Love is swallowing your jealously the best that you can. Love is not taking advantage of her in a vulnerable state. As Rogue and Bobby hit a rough spot in their relationship, John learns what love is. Ryro. One shot. Polished and republished, originally posted in 2008.


His scrapbook had two words scrawled on it: _Love is._

"Hey, John!" She shouted, stepping toward him, her boyfriend only steps behind.

He smiled, closing the book.

"Hey." He answered back.

"You ever gonna let me read what's in there?"

"Nope."

"I can't wait until you do let me read something."

"Never gonna happen." he responded.

"I won't stop asking either." She smiled back. "We'll just have to see who gives in."

Bobby snuck his arms around her waist, holding her from behind, burying his nose in her hair.

John wondered what her hair smelled like.

 _Love is being cliché, even when you don't want to be._

He'd of scribbled it down quickly, had it not been for the two standing in front of him.

* * *

At dinner, he watched her laugh and play with her boyfriend. He wondered what she was whispering in his ear. The way Bobby looked at her after, all toothy grin and sparkling eyes, it must have been enticing. John found out later when he went to bed and Bobby wasn't there.

Deciding to investigate he headed to the kitchen and found it empty, then checked her room. Her bed, too, was empty. He asked Jubilee and Kitty where she'd gone. The two girls whispered to each other, giggled, but told him nothing.

She'd obviously left somewhere with Bobby.

 _Love is swallowing your jealously the best that you can.  
_

* * *

When morning hit, and they hadn't returned for breakfast he'd gotten worried.

"You guys know where they went?" he asked Jubilee and Kitty, making sure to frame his words as more of a statement than a question. They looked at each other. He realized a little anger had mistakenly edged into his voice as well. His cool was slipping. "They could be in serious trouble. Where did they go?" He tried to be careful with his voice, but now it shook with fear, if not with anger and blame.

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "They're fine." she stated.

"How do you know?" he glared. "Wherever they went, they should be back by now. Classes are about to start."

"They're fine." she said again.

"Yeah." Kitty piped in. "They probably just overslept or something."

Jubilee's eyes went wide and Kitty just yawned, obviously bored.

"Where?"

"They got a room last night at some hotel. They probably fell asleep when they finished and haven't gotten up yet."

Jubilee glared at Kitty, as did John.

 _Love is allowing your heart to be broken without a second thought._

"What hotel?" he asked.

Kitty shrunk under Jubilee's glare. "I don't think I'm supposed to tell you."

"You weren't supposed to tell him anything." Jubilee scolded.

"How could they even do anything? She can't touch." he asked.

"Latex-suits!" Jubilee giggled. "Can you believe it?"

Kitty relaxed under her friend's own indiscretion. "Seriously, John. I always thought you were the creative one." she teased, earning another glare from John, and a high-five from Jubilee.

He stalked off, still scared and now feeling the weight of his unrequited affections. He figured he might as well go to class now, when they were clearly going to miss it.

* * *

They both came back in time for class. John's heart was torn between relief and heartbreak.

"Hey." She said, sliding into the seat next to him, while Bobby sat on her other side.

"I heard you had an exciting night."

She blushed and turned away. He watched her for about three seconds, then Jean came in, starting class.

He needed a cigarette.

 _Love is an addiction._

* * *

Bobby left to meet her in the kitchen that night, but somehow, she ended up in the room he shared with Bobby.

"Bobby's not here." He said, not looking up for his spot on his bed, knowing he'd be crushed if he looked into her totally-in-love-with-his-best-friend eyes.

"I know."

He heard a quiver in her voice and realized he couldn't have predicted her mood with less accuracy. Her swollen eyes and mascara-lined cheeks told him she'd been crying.

"I think I made a mistake." her voice quivered, soft, barely making it through the air to his ears. He motioned for her join him on the bed and she took a seat next to him without an objection.

"I..." She started, never finishing. Instead simply alternating between looking straight ahead and then down at her wringing hand, and then back again. He turned her head gently by her chin, making gentle shushing sounds to calm her and wiped away her tears with his other hand, letting her powers take his breathe away like a punch in the gut..

"I shouldn't be here." She started, letting her head fall against his shoulder, letting him breathe again as a thin layer of cotton separated them, while she titled her head to look at his with red, wet, and confused eyes. "But God help me I don't want to be anywhere else." she looked at him, parting her lips, licking them and inching her face just close enough to his to barely not touch his, a move she no doubt perfected with his best friend, her boyfriend.

 _Love is never taking advantage of her in a vulnerable state._

"You should go talk this out with Bobby." he said, his voice hoarse from having to force the words through. "He's waiting for you, you know, downstairs." His voice was soft now, but steady enough to fall like a brick between them, and her body flinched away from his now, as if he'd burned her right through the cotton of his t-shirt. Her body tensed, and she wiped away a few stray that tears he'd missed.

"You're right." she whispered, and with that, she was gone.


End file.
